Winemaker Notes
Complex and layered aromas of cassis, plums and sweet spice are further complimented by notes of tobacco, cedar wood and cigar box on the nose. The palate has a plush, juicy red and black fruit core with seamless, integrated tannins and a fine seam of acidity. Pin-point balance between the new oak and fruit results in a wine with grace and elegance. Beautiful savory notes on the finish.
A great accompaniment to meat casseroles, steak, roasts and a selection of well-matured cheeses.
Blend: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A spiced cherry aroma leads the bouquet of this wine, with supporting notes of currant, raspberry leaf and forest bramble. The palate is smooth and satiny at first, with fine-grain tannins that take over the midpalate and linger well into the medium-length finish alongside spicy tones of cocoa-dusted cherry, charred plum and a touch of blackberry leaf.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, the dark ruby colored 2016 Paul Sauer offers aromas of caramel, black raspberry, plum and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of earth and leather in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shows more red fruit-dominated flavors of cassis, redcurrant and juicy black cherry with the perfumed oak expressions of vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. The wine is balanced and has an open approachability in youth but can age for more than a decade. The wine ends with a a red-berry and cherry lift on the lingering finish. It's a lovely wine, but it's certainly the lightest of the bottlings from the last five years.
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Wine Spectator
This features a charming nose, with aromas of violet and cherry blossom, while the palate offers currant and rose hip notes, accented by hints of thyme and cocoa. Vibrant and firm, showing lovely freshness and length. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Drink now through 2028.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.